[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 87 (Friday, May 4, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26572-26574]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-10749]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management

[LLAZC01000.L51010000.FX0000.LVRWA09A2310; AZA 32315]


Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Proposed Mohave County Wind Farm Project, AZ

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Interior.

ACTION: Notice of availability.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969 as amended (NEPA), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has 
prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed 
Mohave County Wind Farm Project and by this notice is announcing the 
opening of the comment period.

DATES: To ensure comments will be considered, the BLM must receive 
written comments on the proposed Mohave County Wind Farm Project Draft 
EIS within 45 days following the date the Environmental Protection 
Agency publishes its Notice of Availability in the Federal Register. 
The BLM will announce dates and locations of future meetings or 
hearings and any other public involvement activities at least 15 days 
in advance through public notices, media releases, mailings, and the 
BLM Web site at http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments related to the following Mohave 
County Wind Farm Project by any of the following methods:
     Web site: http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html.
     Email: [email protected].
     Fax: 602-417-9490.
     Mail: Bureau of Land Management, Renewable Energy 
Coordination Office, Arizona State Office, One North Central Avenue, 
Suite 800, Phoenix, Arizona 85004-4427.

Copies of the Mohave County Wind Farm Project Draft EIS are available 
in the Arizona State Office at the above address; in the Kingman Field 
Office located at 2755 Mission Boulevard, Kingman, Arizona 86401; and 
on the above Web site.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Or to have your name added to our 
mailing list, contact Jerry Crockford, BLM-contracted project manager, 
telephone 505-360-0473; email [email protected]; or contact 
Jackie Neckels, Environmental Coordination, telephone 602-417-9262; 
address Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Office, Renewable 
Energy Coordination Office, One North Central Avenue, Suite 800, 
Phoenix, Arizona 85004-4427. Persons who use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact the above individuals 
during normal business hours. The FIRS is available 24 hours a day, 7 
days a week, to leave a message or question for the above individuals. 
You will receive a reply during normal business hours.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The lead Federal agency for the Mohave 
County Wind Farm Project is the BLM Kingman Field Office. Cooperating 
agencies are the Western Area Power Administration (Western); Bureau of 
Reclamation--Lower Colorado Region (Reclamation); National Park 
Service--Lake Mead National Recreation Area; Mohave County, Arizona; 
Arizona Game and Fish Department; and the Hualapai Tribe Department of 
Cultural Resources.
    The applicant, BP Wind Energy North America (BPWE), applied for a 
right-of-way to construct, operate, maintain, and decommission a 500-
megawatt (MW) wind farm, including turbine generators and associated 
infrastructure, on approximately 38,099 acres of land managed by the 
BLM and approximately 8,960 acres of land managed by Reclamation, 
totaling approximately 47,059 acres of Federal land. The project area 
is located in the White Hills area approximately 40 miles northwest of 
Kingman, Arizona, approximately 9 miles south of the Colorado River, 
and approximately 20 miles southeast of Hoover Dam. A map of the 
proposed project area and a legal description are available on the BLM 
Web site at http://www.blm.gov/az/st/en/prog/energy/wind/mohave.html. 
The project is anticipated to generate up to 500 MW of electricity. It 
is proposed to consist of up to 283 turbines, access roads, and 
ancillary facilities. The turbine generators would be selected from 
those with a power output ranging from 1.5 to 3.0 MW each. To the 
extent possible, existing roads would be used to reduce potential 
impacts associated with the construction of new roads. Roads would be 
improved as needed, and the road network would be supplemented with 
internal access/service roads to each wind turbine.
    Proposed ancillary facilities include pad-mounted transformers, an 
underground 34.5-kilovolt (kV) electrical collection system between the 
turbines, distribution connector lines (either underground or above-
ground) tying the turbine strings to either a 345-

[[Page 26573]]

kV or a 500-kV electrical substation. This would provide 
interconnection with the regional power grid through the substation to 
a new switchyard at one of two major electric transmission lines 
transecting the project area. The lines, which are administered by 
Western, are the 345-kV Liberty-Mead line and the 500-kV Mead-Phoenix 
line.
    Scoping was initiated with the publication of a notice of intent in 
the Federal Register on November 20, 2009, and conducted from November 
20 through January 8, 2010. Three public meetings and an agency meeting 
were held in Kingman, Dolan Springs, and White Hills, Arizona. A 
supplemental scoping period was initiated with publication of a second 
notice of intent on July 26, 2010, and concluded on September 9, 2010. 
Four public scoping meetings were held during the supplemental scoping 
period; one at each of the three original scoping meeting communities 
and an additional meeting in Peach Springs, Arizona, at the Hualapai 
Tribe Cultural Center. The BLM considered all input received from the 
start of the first scoping period (November 20, 2009) to the end of the 
second scoping period (September 9, 2010).
    Public and cooperating agency concerns/comments identified the 
following issues. The percentage of comments for each issue is included 
in parentheses: Biological resources (23 percent), project description 
(17 percent), socioeconomics (9 percent), land use, recreation, and 
transportation (8 percent), NEPA process (7 percent), visual resources 
(6 percent), project alternatives (5 percent), cumulative effects (4 
percent), noise (4 percent), project need (3 percent), air quality (3 
percent), geology and minerals (3 percent), water resources (3 
percent), cultural resources (2 percent), and hazardous materials and 
safety (1 percent).
    The Draft EIS considers the impacts of the proposed action, two 
action alternatives, and a no action alternative. An updated wilderness 
characteristics inventory determined that none of the public lands in 
the project area have wilderness characteristics. The Alternative A 
(proposed action) wind-farm site would encompass approximately 38,099 
acres of land managed by the BLM and 8,960 acres of land managed by 
Reclamation. As with all action alternatives, project features within 
the wind-farm site would include turbines aligned within corridors, 
access roads, electrical collection system, an operations and 
maintenance building, two temporary laydown/staging areas (with 
temporary batch plant operations), two substations, and a switchyard. 
The number of turbines constructed would vary depending on the turbine 
type that is installed, but Alternative A proposes more turbines than 
the other alternatives. Alternative A could support development of a 
maximum of 283 turbines.
    The Alternative B wind-farm site would encompass approximately 
30,872 acres of land managed by the BLM and 3,848 acres of land managed 
by Reclamation. Alternative B reduces the wind-farm site footprint and 
has fewer turbines than Alternative A, with the intent of reducing 
visual and noise impacts on the Lake Mead National Recreation Area 
primarily and secondarily on private property. The number of turbines 
constructed would vary depending on the turbine type that is installed, 
but Alternative B could support development of a maximum of 208 
turbines. Alternative B provides a greater distance between the Lake 
Mead National Recreation Area and the proposed wind-farm project 
boundary. The Alternative C wind-farm site would encompass 
approximately 30,178 acres of land managed by the BLM and 5,124 acres 
of land managed by Reclamation. Alternative C also reduces the wind-
farm site footprint and has fewer turbines than Alternative A, with the 
intent of reducing visual and noise impacts primarily on private 
property and secondarily on the Lake Mead National Recreation Area. The 
number of turbines constructed would vary depending on the turbine type 
that is installed, but Alternative C could support development of a 
maximum of 208 turbines. Alternative C provides a greater distance from 
private land and the proposed wind-farm project boundary.
    Alternative D is the no action alternative, which provides a 
baseline against which action alternatives can be compared. Alternative 
D includes an analysis of effects from not developing the project. 
Alternative D assumes that no actions associated with the project would 
occur, and no rights-of-way or interconnections would be granted. The 
BLM-administered lands would continue to be managed in accordance with 
the Kingman Field Office Resource Management Plan, and the Reclamation-
administered lands would continue to be managed by Reclamation. 
Capacity on Western's transmission lines would remain available for 
other projects.
    The BLM's purpose and need for the Mohave County Wind Farm Project 
is to respond to BPWE's application under Title V of the Federal Land 
Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA) (43 U.S.C. 1761) for a right-
of-way (ROW) grant to construct, operate, and decommission a wind-farm 
site in compliance with FLPMA, BLM ROW regulations and other applicable 
Federal laws. The BLM will decide whether to approve, approve with 
modification or deny a ROW grant to BPWE for the proposed wind project.
    Reclamation's responsibility under the Act of Congress of June 17, 
1902 (32 Stat. 388), Section 10 of the Reclamation Project Act, 1939 
(53 Stat. 1187), and 43 CFR part 429 is to respond to a request for a 
ROW on Reclamation-administered Federal land. Reclamation will decide 
whether to grant the ROW for the construction, operation, and 
decommissioning of the wind-farm site on Reclamation-administered 
lands.
    Western's Federal action would be to execute an interconnection 
agreement and design, construct, own, operate, and maintain the project 
switchyard and physical interconnection to the existing transmission 
line under all alternatives.
    The BLM will continue to use and coordinate the NEPA public 
participation requirements to assist the agency in satisfying the 
public involvement requirements under Section 106 of the National 
Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) pursuant to 36 CFR 
800.2(d)(3).
    The BLM will continue to consult with Indian tribes on a 
government-to-government basis in accordance with Executive Order 13175 
and other policies. Tribal concerns, including impacts on Indian trust 
assets and potential impacts to cultural resources, will be given due 
consideration. Federal, State, and local agencies, along with tribes 
and other stakeholders that may be interested in or affected by the 
decision on this proposed project, are encouraged to review and comment 
on the Draft EIS.
    The BLM will respond to each substantive comment by making 
appropriate revisions to the document or by explaining why a comment 
did not warrant a change.
    Before including your phone number, email address, or other 
personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware 
that your entire comment--including your personal identifying 
information--may be made publicly available at any time. While you can 
ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying 
information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be 
able to do so.


[[Page 26574]]


    Authority: 40 CFR 1506.6 and 1506.10.

Joan B. Losacco,
Acting Associate State Director.
[FR Doc. 2012-10749 Filed 5-1-12; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-32-P